What is "off the hook"

Hook \Hook\ (h[oo^]k; 277), n. [OE. hok, AS. h[=o]c; cf. D. haak, G. hake, haken, OHG. h[=a]ko, h[=a]go, h[=a]ggo, Icel. haki, Sw. hake, Dan. hage. Cf. Arquebuse, Hagbut, Hake, Hatch a half door, Heckle.]

1. A piece of metal, or other hard material, formed or bent into a curve or at an angle, for catching, holding, or sustaining anything; as, a hook for catching fish; a hook for fastening a gate; a boat hook, etc.

2. That part of a hinge which is fixed to a post, and on which a door or gate hangs and turns.

3. An implement for cutting grass or grain; a sickle; an instrument for cutting or lopping; a billhook.

   Like slashing Bentley with his desperate hook.
   --Pope.

4. (Steam Engin.) See Eccentric, and V-hook.

5. A snare; a trap. [R.]
   --Shak.

6. A field sown two years in succession. [Prov. Eng.]

7. pl. The projecting points of the thigh bones of cattle; -- called also hook bones.

8. (Geog.) A spit or narrow cape of sand or gravel turned landward at the outer end; as, Sandy Hook in New Jersey.

9. (Sports) The curving motion of a ball, as in bowling or baseball, curving away from the hand which threw the ball; in golf, a curving motion in the direction of the golfer who struck the ball.

10. (Computers) A procedure within the encoding of a computer program which allows the user to modify the program so as to import data from or export data to other programs.

    By hook or by crook, one way or other; by any means, direct or indirect.
    --Milton. ``In hope her to attain by hook or crook.''
    --Spenser.

    Off the hook, freed from some obligation or difficulty; as, to get off the hook by getting someone else to do the job.

    Off the hooks, unhinged; disturbed; disordered. [Colloq.] ``In the evening, by water, to the Duke of Albemarle, whom I found mightly off the hooks that the ships are not gone out of the river.''
    --Pepys.

    On one's own hook, on one's own account or responsibility; by one's self. [Colloq. U.S.]
    --Bartlett.

    To go off the hooks, to die. [Colloq.]
    --Thackeray.

    Bid hook, a small boat hook.

    Chain hook. See under Chain.

    Deck hook, a horizontal knee or frame, in the bow of a ship, on which the forward part of the deck rests.

    Hook and eye, one of the small wire hooks and loops for fastening together the opposite edges of a garment, etc.

    Hook bill (Zo["o]l.), the strongly curved beak of a bird.

    Hook ladder, a ladder with hooks at the end by which it can be suspended, as from the top of a wall.

    Hook motion (Steam Engin.), a valve gear which is reversed by V hooks.

    Hook squid, any squid which has the arms furnished with hooks, instead of suckers, as in the genera Enoploteuthis and Onychteuthis.

    Hook wrench, a wrench or spanner, having a hook at the end, instead of a jaw, for turning a bolthead, nut, or coupling.

Etymology 1 a. (context idiomatic English) relieved of a duty, burden, responsibility, or pressure. Etymology 2

a. Of a telephone, having an open connection; not hang up. Etymology 3

a. 1 (context idiomatic informal sports English) performing extraordinarily well. 2 (context idiomatic informal slang English) fresh, cool, trendy, excellent.

adj. freed from danger or blame or obligation; "I let him off the hook with a mild reprimand" [syn: off the hook(p)]

Off the Hook is a hacker-oriented weekly talk radio program, hosted by Emmanuel Goldstein, which focuses on the societal ramifications of information technology and the laws that regulate how people use them. It airs Wednesday nights at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time in New York City on the community radio station WBAI 99.5 FM. It is also simulcasted online via streaming MP3, rebroadcast on various other radio stations, and has been made available as a podcast (since long before that term was coined).

Off the Hook may refer to:

Off the Hook is the second studio album by American R&B singing group Xscape, released by So So Def Recordings on July 18, 1995 in North America. The album was produced by Jermaine Dupri and featured a guest appearance by MC Lyte. Off the Hook spawned four singles including " Feels So Good", " Do You Want To", " Who Can I Run To" and " Can't Hang".

"Off the Hook" was certified platinum by the RIAA.

Off the Hook is a British sitcom about a group of freshers at university.

The show's cast includes Jonathan Bailey, who plays the main character Danny, Danny Morgan as Shane and James Buckley (Jay Cartwright from The Inbetweeners) as Fred. They are joined by Joanna Cassidy who plays Scarlet and Georgia King as Wendy "Weird Bloke".

"Off the Hook" is the first single released from Jody Watley's sixth album, Flower.

1. redirect Arrested Development (season 4)#ep67

Category:Arrested Development (season 4) episodes

Now Presents: Off the Hook is a compilation album from the Now That's What I Call Music! series, released on May 21, 2002. Unlike previous Now! compilations, the album is composed exclusively of popular R&B and Hip-Hop songs. It was certified Gold by the RIAA on June 25, 2002

Off the Hook features the number-one Billboard Hot 100 hit, " I'm Real (Murder Remix)" by Jennifer Lopez featuring Ja Rule. It also features three number-one rap hits: "Raise Up," "Feels Good" and "Lights! Camera! Action!". The latter of the three also reached number-one on the R&B/hip-hop chart.